Folding umbrella.



No. 734,952. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

1) w. MABEB.

FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15, 1904;

' zsHEBTs-sHEET 1.

No. 784,952. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

D. W. MABEE.

FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLICATION FILED 0OT.16, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Iatented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OE IcE.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,952, dated March14, 1905.

Application filed October 15. 1904:. Serial No. 228,546.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DELVENE W. MABEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invent ed certainnew and useful Improvements in Folding Umbrellas; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to folding umbrellas; and it has for its objectto provide a construction which will not only permit of folding theumbrella to occupy an extremely small space, but also to provide aconstruction wherein by actuating or moving a catch into releasingposition the umbrella will be automatically opened.

Other objects and advantages of the invention have reference to detailsof structure, as will be understood from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a section taken longitudinally through the umbrella in openposition. Fig. 2 is a view similar to .Fig. 1, showing the umbrella infolded position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the outerend portion of the inner end member of a rib and the connected endportion of a brace. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the endportions of two telescoping members of the stick and showing the latchfor holding them when drawn outwardly. Fig. 5 is a detail view of therunner and connected parts.

Referring now to the drawings, the stick of the umbrella consists ofthree tubular members 10, 11, and 12, which are of graduallydecreasingdiameters, so that the tube .11 may telescope into the tube 10 and thetube 12 may telescope into the tube 11. The ends of the tube 11 and12nearest the handle 13 of the stick are provided with terminalspring-fingers 14 and 15, respectively, which when the tubes are drawnapart to their limit engage in perforations l6 and 17, respectively, inthe tubes 10 and 11 and hold the tubes against telescop- 19 is arib-section 20, which is bent up from sheet metal into a split tube andat one end of which are formed the spaced cars 23, which project throughthe longitudinal slot 24 of the split tubular rib-section 19 and receivebetween them the end of a stretcher 25, which is pivoted thereto in theusual manner. This second rib-section slides in the first rib-section,so as to project to a greater or lesser degree from the outer end of thelatter, the ears serving to limit the outward movement of the section 20by striking the unsplit outer end portion 19. To prevent accidentalmovement of the section 20 into the section 19, the section 20 isprovided with a spring-linger 26 at its inner end, which engagesyieldably in a perforation 27 near the outer end of the section 19. Whenforce is applied to the section 20, it may, however, be pushed into thesection 19, the spring-finger at such times being pressed from theperforation, which acts as a keeper for it.

l/Vithin the section 20 is slidably engaged an outer section 28, whichtelescopes into the section 20, and when drawn outwardly to its limit isheld against accidental inward movement by a spring-finger 29, whichengages a keeper in the form of a perforation 30 in the section 20.\Vhen proper force is applied, the spring-finger is pressed out of itskeeper and the outer section moves into the section 20.

A cover 31 is disposed over the ribs and at the center is held betweenthe notch and a tip 32, there being provided eyes 33 at the outer endsof the rib-sections 19 and 28, respectively, which receive threads inthe usual manner to hold the cover in place. \Vhen the outer sec tionsof the ribs are telescoped into the inner sections, the portion of thecover between the eyes is held in folded position, as shown.

A runner is provided, and consists of a tube 3 1, to which are pivotallyconnected the ribstretchers 25 in the usual manner, and the runner isprovided with a thumb-latch 35, which is adapted for engagement in anopening 36 in the stick-section 12 to hold the umbrella in open positionpositively.

Upon the tube 34 of the runner is slidably mounted a sleeve 37, to whichare pivotally connected links 38, which are pivotally connected at theirlower ends between cars 39, which project upwardly from the stretchers25 at points near the inner ends of the latter, so that when the sleeveis forced downwardly on the tube the stretchers will be forced outwardlyand downwardly when the umbrella is in folded position, and as thestretchers move outwardly and downwardly the ribs will be movedoutwardly or into raised positions. To force the sleeve downwardly onthe tube, a helical spring 39 is disposed upon the tube and bears withits lower end upon the upper face of the sleeve and with its upper endagainst the under face of a collar or flange 40, iixed upon the tubeabove the sleeve. \Vhen the umbrella is lowered, the sleeve is shiftedin' the direction of the collar or flange, and the spring is placedunder tension, so that the tendency of the runner is to move upwardlyalong the stick. To hold the umbrella in lowered position, a retainingdevice is provided and consists of a tube s1, which slidably mountedupon the stick-section l0 and at the lower end has a circumscribingflange 4E2, while at its upper end. is a similar flange 43, providedwith a continuous series of notches M one for each of the ribs in theumbrellaand in which the latter engage when the umbrella is closed, thetips of the ribs projecting below the flange a3 for engagement by thedished flange M at the upper end of a sleeve 45, which is slidablymounted on the tube 41. By engaging over the tips of the ribs the dishedflange holds the latter against outward movement, and consequently holdsthe umbrella in lowered position. hen the sleeve is drawn in thedirection of the handle of the umbrella, the ends of the ribs arereleased. The spring 39 then acts between the stop 40 and the sleeve 37to force the sleeve downwardly on the runner so that the links 38 pressthe stretchers 25 so as to swing their upper ends away from the stick.This outward movement of the upper ends of the stretchers first servesto project the sliding rib-sections, and as the spring presses thesleeve further down the runner the links force the stretchers in thedirection of a common plane that passes through the pivots of thestretcher where they are connected to the runner. This serves to raisethe runner on the stick and move the ribs outwardly.

It will be understood that in practice modifications of the specificconstruction shown may be made and any suitable materials andproportions may be used for the various parts without departing from thespirit of the invention.

The extreme outer rib-sections must be drawn out by hand. It will beseen that the helical spring with the associate parts is a potentialdevice for swinging the stretchers away from the stick in that When therunner is moved downwardly on the stick to close the umbrella energy isstored up by compression of the spring to be afterward given out, asabove described, in raising the umbrella.

WVhat is claimed is 1. In an umbrella, the combination with a stickhaving ribs pivotally connected therewith, of a runner slidably mountedon the stick, rib-stretchers pivotally connected to the runner and tothe ribs, a sleeve slidably mounted on the runner, arms pivoted to thesleeve and to the stretchers at points between the ends of the latter, astop at the upper end of the runner, and a helical spring disposed uponthe runner between the sleeve and stop and adapted to force the sleevedownwardly on the runner.

2. In an umbrella, the combination with a stick having a notch, ofrib-sections pivoted to the notch, rib-sections slidably connected withthe first-named sections and adapted to project from the ends thereof, arunner slidably mounted upon the stick, stretchers pivoted to the runnerand to the slidable rib-sections, and spring-operated automatic meansconnected with the stretchers for moving them in a direction to projectthe slidable ribsections.

3. In an umbrella, the combination with a stick having a notch, ofrib-sections pivoted to the notch, rib-sections slidably connected withthe first-named sections, and movable to project from the ends thereof,a runner slidably mounted upon the stick, stretchers pivoted to therunner and to the slidable rib-sections, a sleeve slidably mounted uponthe runner, links pivoted to the sleeve and to the stretchers at pointsbetween the ends of the latter, and resilient means for shifting thesleeve in one direction upon the runner, to swing the stretchers intoactive positions and project the slidable rib-sections.

ln testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DELVENE W. MABEE.

Witnesses:

Tiios. KELL BRADFORD, LIONEL Sonnrcna.

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